Search

Current Affairs

05/12/2015

The San Diego County District Attorney's Office continues to fight against elder abuse in assisted living facilities around the community. The D.A. rolled out a new website and a reporting line to help protect many senior citizens from physical abuse and financial scams. The Long Term Care Special Prosecutions Unit was created one-year ago and since then, special agents have opened 113-cases, filing five felony charges since last summer. San Diego families in search of quality care are now getting more allies in the fight against elder abuse.

"Elder abuse is one of those areas that is under reported for a lot of reasons and we've shined a spot light on it here in San Diego County," District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis told sandiego6.com in a recent post titled “D.A. launches new resource to combat elder abuse.”

The district attorney's office and the county board of supervisors have helped create the long term care special prosecutions unit. They now have launched two new resources to help protect seniors. Before that office rarely received any information regarding possible abuse in such facilities unless the initial report was taken by a law enforcement agency. Now families can report elder abuse directly from a special section on the DA’s website, as well as via a new reporting phone number.

County leaders report that they have a growing aging population, and the number of people ages 75 and up will nearly double in the future from 170,000 to 325,000. That big increase will demand additional resources and additional oversight to make sure that senior citizens are safe and have adequate care, the article says.

This is the same news almost everywhere as baby boomers are retiring and some are becoming unable to care for themselves.

At Idaho Estate Planning, we understand the challenges faced by elder Americans and their families. We have resources throughout the Treasure Valley, experts in the field of Elder Care & Planning. We have the experience and expertise to help you maintain your options and protect yourself as well as your loved ones now and into the future. Remember, good planning is no accident.

03/13/2015

Terry Pratchett passed away at the age of 66, 8 years after being diagnosed with Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA), a form of dementia related to Alzheimer's Disease. If you're not familiar with Terry Pratchett he is a best selling novelist in the Science Fiction/Fantasy genre. His Disc World series is popular around the world. He wrote more than 70 books with sales of over 70 million copies. He became a champion for the cause of finding a cure and helping those afflicted deal with the disease. In one of his blogs Terry wrote:

“There isn’t one kind of dementia. There aren’t a dozen kinds. There are hundreds of thousands. Each person who lives with one of these diseases will be affected in uniquely destructive ways. I, for one, am the only person suffering from Terry Pratchett’s posterior cortical atrophy which, for some unknown reason, still leaves me able to write – with the help of my computer and friend – bestselling novels."

“There is no clearly plotted pathway to the course of these diseases. Dementia attacks those facets which make us who we are, and it’s a deeply personal attack that defies prediction. And that’s the point. Every person with dementia has a unique story to tell, and …words need to be put down before they run dry… or run out.”

Knighted in 2009, he said: "It would appear to me that me getting up and saying 'I've got Alzheimer's', it did shake people."

"The thing about Alzheimer's is there are few families that haven't been touched by the disease.

"People come up to me and talk about it and burst into tears; there's far more awareness about it and that was really what I hoped was going to happen."

Sadly Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia will eventually touch all of us. Even if you or no one you know is diagnosed with the disease (which is highly unlikely) the cost of the disease effects us all. The monetary cost of dementia in the United States ranges from $159 billion to $215 billion annually, making the disease more costly to the nation than either heart disease or cancer, according to a RAND Corporation study.

At Idaho Estate Planning we can help you navigate the elective transfer of decision-making authority through a power of attorney or trust and can help you qualify for needs-based programs like Medicaid and Veterans Pension Benefits if necessary. We set up a legal framework through which the client and his or her family can transfer assets and decision-making responsibilities.

Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., with 5.4 million Americans suffering from the disease. So, health care proxies will be another important aspect of your legal plan.

12/25/2014

Certainly there has never been a better Christmas tale than Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. While we know everyone is familiar with the story we wish to share the closing paragraphs from that great story. You can find the book online at the Guttenburg Project.

Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in less attractive forms. His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him.

He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!

04/17/2014

At Idaho Estate Planning we try to support our community when called upon. Recently our Concierge, Bill Poulson was tagged by the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) and asked to participate in this years fund drive. Bill will be in "Lock-Up" on May 15th, 2014 and in order to be sprung from jail he needs your help.

If you would like to join us in raising funds for this worthy organization you can go to Bill's MDA webpage and donate starting today. If you are unable to follow the link simply follow these directions:

Go to www.mdalockup.org/eaglemeridian

Click on “Support a Jailbird” and enter the name, Bill Poulson.

Click on “Donate to Me”

Bill's bail has been set at $2400 – enough to send three local kids with muscle diseases to MDA Summer Camp in McCall, Idaho.

But, did you know that MDA helps more than just kids? MDA of Idaho serves over 730 LOCAL FAMILIES affected by 43 different muscle diseases including ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Your contribution to my bail provides these families with lots of great services:

01/10/2014

Two recent medical cases are making headlines over the often blurry lines between life, death, medical ethics and the law. When confronting issues like brain death and life support, what is the "right" decision for the patient?

These two cases share at least two things in common: a patient pronounced “brain dead” and the wishes of their families thwarted by the law. In one case, the family of a young girl seeks to keep her on life support as they hold out for a miracle. Her family refuses to accept brain death as true death. In the other case, the husband of a pregnant woman seeks to remove life support, petitioning a court to allow his wife to pass away. However, the hospital is forced to comply with Texas law that outright bans the option.

These are difficult cases. While parents are responsible for their minor children, adults have the responsibility to make their wishes known through proper legal planning in advance. With the start of a new year, this would be an appropriate time to create, review or update your own advance medical directives. Be sure to take the crucial next step and discuss your wishes with your loved ones.

In the very least, this national conversation over these two tragic medical cases should stimulate conversation and action when it comes to your own life and those of your loved ones.

01/01/2014

Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're Doing Something.

So that's my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody's ever made before. Don't freeze, don't stop, don't worry that it isn't good enough, or it isn't perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life.

Whatever it is you're scared of doing, Do it.

Make your mistakes, next year and forever.”

― Neil Gaiman

“The journey is the reward.”

—Steve Jobs

“What the New Year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the New Year.”

—Vern McLellan

“I have the opportunity, once more to right some wrongs, to pray for peace, to plant some trees, and sing more joyful songs.”

—William Arthur Ward

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

12/25/2013

"This is Christmas, the season of perpetual hope. And I don't care if I have to get out on your runway and hitchhike. If it costs me everything I own, if I have to sell my soul to the devil himself, I am going to get home to my son." — Kate McCallister

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." — Narrator Boris Karloff

"The Santa Clause: In putting on the suit and entering the sleigh, the wearer waives any and all right to any previous identity, real or implied, and fully accepts the duties and responsibilities of Santa Claus, in perpetuity to which some time the wearer becomes unable to do so, by either accident or design." — Bernard the Elf

The Bishop’s Wife

Tonight I want to tell you the story of an empty stocking. Once upon a midnight clear, there was a child's cry. A blazing star hung over a stable and wise men came with birthday gifts. We haven't forgotten that night down the centuries; we celebrate it with stars on Christmas trees, the sound of bells and with gifts. But especially with gifts.

You give me a book; I give you a tie. Aunt Martha has always wanted an orange squeezer and Uncle Henry could do with a new pipe. We forget nobody, adult or child. All the stockings are filled ... all that is, except one. And we have even forgotten to hang it up. The stocking for the child born in a manger. It's his birthday we are celebrating. Don't ever let us forget that.

Let us ask ourselves what he would wish for most ... and then let each put in his share. Loving kindness, warm hearts and the stretched out hand of tolerance. All the shining gifts that make peace on earth. — Henry Brougham

12/24/2013

Certainly there has never been a better Christmas tale than Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. While we know everyone is familiar with the story we wish to share with your the closing paragraphs from that great story. You can find the book online at the Guttenburg Project.

Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in less attractive forms. His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him.

He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!

10/07/2013

Con Artists have been around forever. With modern technology their job just keeps getting easier. We have spoken before on the subject of Elder Scams but you don't have to be a senior or technolocially challenged to be taken advantage of.

Recently
a member of the Idaho Estate Planning team found themselves in the middle of a
Phishing scam. Phishing is the act of trying to steal information such as
usernames, passwords, and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy
entity in an electronic communication. This team member is aware of scams and how they work and is typically very careful with their credit card information.

These scam
artists had pieces of information that made them sound as if they really did
represent the cellular company and were threatening to shut down their cellular
service. There was more than one and they worked in teams representing different departments of "the company". As soon as the call was over and my team member realized what had
happened they called their bank. The thieves were able to make charges of more
than $50.00 before the card was cancelled 5 minutes later. The bank's software noticing charges coming in from many locations around the country had automatically stopped 5 other charges totaling hundreds.

With the
holiday season rapidly approaching we typically find an increase in this type
of activity and we want to warn all of our friends to please be careful with
your financial information. If someone is threatening to shutdown services tell
them you will call them back. Look up the correct number for the company and
call the customer service department to verify whether your account is actually
in trouble.

You
should also be aware that a mailed notice should typically precede a legitimate
cancellation of services. Please call us if you have any question about Phishing
Scams, Elder Scams or any other concerns for you or your parents.

07/04/2013

Trivia
buffs, here's a little fun information on the Declaration of Independence and the Founding Fathers of the United States.

Did you know that the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from
Great Britain actually occurred on July 2, 1776?

John
Adams wrote, in a letter to his wife:

The
second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of
America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding
generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as
the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to
be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells,
bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from
this time forward forever more.

So why
is Independence Day celebrated on July 4th? From the outset, Americans
celebrated independence on July 4th, because it was the date shown on the
much-publicized Declaration of Independence rather than on July 2nd, which was
the date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of
Congress.

Another
bit of interesting trivia is the fact that most historians think that the
Declaration was actually signed on August 2nd, 1776, nearly a month after its
adoption and not on July 4th, as is commonly believed.

The names of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were withheld from the public for more than six months to protect the signers. If independence had not been achieved, the treasonable act of the signers would have, by law, resulted in their deaths. Thomas McKean was the last to sign in January, 1777.

The first Independence Day celebration west of the Mississippi occurred at Independence Creek and was celebrated by Lewis and Clark in 1805.

Independence Day acquired its unofficial theme song on July 4, 1897, at the Manhattan Beach Music Hall on the eastern end of Coney Island. On that Sunday afternoon, sometime after 4 p.m., John Philip Sousa lifted his baton and cued his band to launch into their latest hit, “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” Sousa had not composed it specifically for the holiday, but it has been a marching-band staple on every Fourth of July since 1897.

Finally, did you know
that John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, both of whom had not only signed the
Declaration of Independence but went on to serve as Presidents of the United
States, died on July 4th, 1826. Another Founding Father who became President,
James Monroe, died on July 4, 1831 becoming the third President in a row to die
on Independence Day.